Porous bodies and method of production thereof

1. Freeze-dried, water-in-oil emulsion-templated porous bodies each comprising a three dimensional open cell lattice which is soluble in non-aqueous media, said lattice containing

(a) 10 to 95% by weight of a polymeric material which is soluble in the non-aqueous media and

(b) 5 to 90% by weight of a surfactant which is soluble in the non-aqueous media, said porous bodies having an intrusion volume as measured by mercury porosimetry of at least about 3 ml/g; and comprising two types of pores:

(1) from the sublimation of solid ice from the water phase of the emulsion, and

(2) from the sublimation of the oil phase of the emulsion,

wherein a water-soluble material is incorporated into the lattice of said porous bodies to be dispersed in the non-aqueous media when said lattice dissolves, said lattice visually fully dissolving in the non-aqueous media in less than 3 minutes when 0.1 g of said porous bodies are stirred with 2 ml of the non-aqueous media at 20° C.

2. Porous bodies as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bodies are in the form of powders, beads or moulded bodies.

3. Porous bodies as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polymeric material is a homopolymer or copolymer made from one or more of the following (co)monomers: Alkenes; dienes; urethanes; vinyl esters; styrenics; alkyl (meth)acrylates; alkyl (meth)acrylamides; (meth)acrylonitrile; vinyl ethers; imides; amides; anhydrides, esters; ethers, carbonates; isothiocyanates; silanes; siloxanes; sulphones; aliphatic and aromatic alcohols; aromatic and aliphatic acids; aromatic and aliphatic amines.

4. Porous bodies as claimed in claim 3 wherein the polymeric material is a polystyrene homopolymer or polyvinyl acetate.

5. Porous bodies as claimed in claim 1 wherein the water soluble material is selected from water soluble vitamins; water soluble fluorescers; activated aluminium chlorohydrate; transition metal complexes used as bleaching catalysts; water soluble polymers; diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA); primary and secondary alcohol sulphates containing greater than C8 chain length or mixtures thereof.

6. Porous bodies as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a water insoluble material selected from the group consisting of antimicrobial agents; antidandruff agent; skin lightening agents; fluorescing agents; antifoams; hair conditioning agents; fabric conditioning agents; skin conditioning agents; dyes; UV protecting agents; bleach or bleach precursors; antioxidants; insecticides; pesticides; herbicides; perfumes or precursors thereto; flavourings or precursors thereto; pharmaceutically active materials; hydrophobic polymeric materials; and mixtures thereof.

7. Porous bodies as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lattice visually fully dissolves in the non-aqueous media in less than 30 seconds when 0.1 g of said porous bodies are stirred with 2 ml of the non-aqueous media at 20° C.

8. Porous bodies as claimed in claim 1 wherein said porous bodies are made by a process comprising the steps of:

a) providing an intimate mixture of the polymeric material, the surfactant, and the water-soluble material in a liquid medium;

b) providing a fluid freezing medium at a temperature effective for rapidly freezing the liquid medium;

c) cooling the liquid medium with the fluid freezing medium at a temperature below the freezing point of the liquid medium for a period effective to rapidly freeze the liquid medium; and

d) freeze drying the frozen liquid medium to form the porous bodies by removal of the liquid medium by sublimation.